1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to container closures, in particular, to a dynamically created virtual hinge closure which provides enhanced compliance utility for dispensers and containers.
2. Background Information
The present invention may be utilized in closures for food, cleaning products, toxic substances, drugs, lens covers, fertilizers etc.
This hinge may attach directly to a container or may attach to (or overlay) the top of an existing dispenser. The dynamic virtual hinge closure provides a synergistic effect when used to overlay dispensers such as pull-push, pumps,, tilt-top, roll-on, sponge-tip, sprays etc. Dynamic virtual hinge closures have extremely widespread utility.
An important current use is for both prescription and over-the-counter products. Recent demographic and sociologic changes in our society as well as medical advances have resulted in an increasing population of elderly as well as an increasing population of children in child-care facilities.
Many of the elderly are taking several medicaments, multiple times daily and the children in child-care facilities are often medicated by their daytime caretakers. These demographic and sociologic shifts, have resulted in increased incidence of noncompliance with prescribed medication regimens. The elderly, in addition to being the most likely to be impaired by poor memory, reduced visual acuity (including the blind), and diminished physical strength and dexterity, are usually taking a number of medicaments on a frequent basis, thus compounding the possibilities for serious harm to themselves. It is also important that child-care personnel have a simple way to determine whether particular children are due medication and also the dose amount.
Additionally, it is important for the parent to know whether the child has been given his/her medication during the parents absence. Although an improved compliance closure is especially required by both the younger and older population segments, everyone would benefit from an improved closure which remains attached to the container when opened, adapts easily for monitored dispensing and child-resistance, can be attached to a variety of existing dispenser types, is easy to use, simple to understand, durable, reliable, reusable, and also inexpensive to manufacture.
Four recent closures possessing many of these features have been disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,749,093 to Trick; 4,753,189 to Mastman et al.; 4,913,083 to Valvo et al.; 5,040,691 to Hayes et al. These recently invented closures do not approach the comprehensive utility, structural simplicity, and reliability that is made possible by the dynamic virtual hinge of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,749,093 to Trick and 4,753,189 to Mastman et al. each contain at least one additional and moving part. That part is located within the cap, contains the indicia, and cooperates rotatably within the cap. This invention advantageously does not contain any moving and/or additional parts or verbal indicia.
Unlike these related art references, the dynamic virtual hinge closure is uniquely independent. The virtual hinge closure can be configured about most existing dispensers such as nasal sprays or eye drops, to provide for monitored dispensing of a pre-measured liquid amount with optional child-resistance features. U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,083 to Valvo et al. must be replaced by the user in the proper position. Incorrect replacement could cause dispensing errors. The virtual hinge closure of the present invention dynamically attaches to the dispenser when opened, thus eliminating this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,691 to Hayes et al. discloses a child-resistant closure. The hinge member 78,144 is fixed with respect to the skirt 73,142. Therefore, the hinge does not rotatably hold the lid 72,143 to the container in the closed position and compliance is not achieved.
These related art inventions function as child-resistant only. The present invention advantageously allows the user to switch this feature back and forth for repeated usage by different family members, while advantageously utilizing the familiar, already tested, motions of "PUSH DOWN and TURN", for child-resistance or "PULL UP and TURN" in a different child-resistant embodiment which requires less strength to open and only one part.
The related art closures require the pharmacist to stock and attach different caps and/or containers for different dispensing frequencies. The present invention advantageously utilizes both the same virtual hinge lid and container for different dispensing frequencies eliminating the need to dispense and maintain inventory of different lids and containers.
Unlike these related art closures, the dynamic virtual hinge closure of the present invention advantageously enables conversion to a child-resistant compliance closure for pre-configured over-the-counter dispensers and prescription containers, thus providing for the dispensing of different substance forms such as solids, liquids, powders and sprays.